Jeff Kovan was only slightly surprised when he heard that a member of the U.S. Olympic bobsledding team had been banned after testing positive for a prohibited drug.
Director of MSU's Sports Medicine Program and an expert on drug use and athletes, Kovan says typically the summer games have a higher incidence of illegal drug use.
"Track and field has been the primary group to use and abuse over the years," he says. "The Winter Olympics has its share as well, but it seems to be much less than summer."
He says athletes who participate in track and field events, particularly events that require sudden bursts of speed or energy, can benefit more, at least in the short term, from the effects of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.
The U.S. bobsledder was banned after testing positive for steroid use.
Contact: Jeff Kovan, MSU Sports Medicine, (517) 336-4520.
HANDLING OLYMPIC-SIZED PRESSURE
While the pressure to win Olympic gold can appear to be overwhelming, most Olympic athletes are well-prepared to handle the stress.
MSU sports psychologist Marty Ewing says most Olympians have mastered the coping skills needed to deal with the harsh spotlight.
"They are more astute than many when it comes to understanding that winning or losing is not under their control," she says. "They may score their fastest time on the downhill race, which also sets a new world or Olympic record, only to have the next racer come down the hill faster."
She says most Olympians feel more pressure from their own expectations, rather than from parents or society.
"Fortunately," she says, "our society, while enamored with winning, does not base all of its reward on winning the Olympics."
Ewing notes one other thing most Olympic athletes have in common: Strong family support.
"Most of the Olympians tell you that their families are very supportive of their ATTEMPT to win a gold medal," she says. "This support or love is not withheld if they don't win."
Contact: Marty Ewing, Department of Kinesiology, (517) 353-4652.
OLYMPICS AND TEENAGERS
It seems like every year Olympic athletes get young and younger. Is too much pressure being put on these kids to succeed?
MSU sports psychologist Marty Ewing says sometimes there will be parents who have invested time and money into their child's sport and are looking for a payoff. She likes to remind these parents that they are "investing in a child, not an athlete."
Ewing says sometimes kids can get confused because on one hand they are told to succeed, while on the other they are told to ignore the pressure and "just have fun."
Contact: Marty Ewing, Department of Kinesiology, (517) 353-4652.
MANY FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO ELITE ATHLETES' SUCCESS
MSU athletic trainer Dave Carrier has worked with Olympians for more than 18 years and has some keen observations on what makes these athletes what they are.
"Better equipment, coaching, biomechanics, training, nutrition and, of course, innate ability, make a difference," says Carrier, who worked the 1988 Games in Calgary and the 1992 Games in Albertville. "But just as important is the desire to work hard and to be the best."
However, Carrier, a long-time trainer for MSU's hockey team, adds that most of the athletes he has worked with on the Olympic level are no different than those he cares for at MSU.
"The only difference is that the stage is bigger and the sport might be different," he says. "All athletes desire the same thing: They want to be the best and they want to win."
Do trainers feel the pressure of this "big stage" just like the athletes?
"Like the athletes," he says, "I put pressure on myself to go the extra mile to ensure I did everything I could to help these athletes succeed."
Contact: Dave Carrier, Intercollegiate Athletics, (517) 353-4564.
Contact: Tom Oswald, University Relations, (517) 355-2281
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